Important tips for Mobile film shooting

Tips to make you a better Filmmaker

Guys as I stated in my first blog that you can make wonderful films through your Smart Phones, now its time for some important tips to keep in mind while doing so.

Image- pixabay

Let’s discuss them:

    1. Know your device!

• Well, to start with I would say that you must learn about the shooting capabilities of your mobile device as if you are shooting manually you can effectively operate features like Aperture, ISO, White Balance and Shutter Speed. You will need to operate these settings depending upon lighting conditions in which you are shooting. Sometimes, you will have proper lighting and at others, you might be having under lighted locations. At those times you will need to perform settings like Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO to get a shot with no grains.

• Also, you can even get a better aesthetic look if you perform these settings appropriately. Like if you place cooler lights in your scene and white balance your camera to a warmer light, you will get a different look which can be very decent at times. Here I also remind you, overdoing anything especially when it is not required will never look aesthetic and can even deviate the audience from the film’s message. Just stick with your film’s message and shoot very creatively. You will learn all the things in a better way once you shoot films and experiment with things. (Don’t shoot right now due to Coronavirus).

      2. Hold the phone horizontally

Image- 4570book

• It is a basic but very important tip. While shooting any type of video it is advised to shoot the entire video in a Horizontal or landscape mode. This is because our screens (laptop, cinema hall) are greater in width and less in height. So a video which is shot in vertical mode will not cover a large area of the screen and it will create a disliking impression in the viewer’s mind. Also, a horizontal shot video looks aesthetic and much more eye-pleasing.

    3. Don’t zoom digitally 

• Always try to avoid zooming digitally in your phone as to when you will zoom in this way your video will lose its quality and will be very unclear.

Left up and down is the original image.

Right up is Optical zoom. Right down is Digital zoom.

Image- quora

• Here in the image, you can see two types of zoom. Upper right is the optical zoom, which means zooming through the lens of a camera(by changing the focal length) which is not possible in Smart Phones. The other one on the lower right is the Digital zoom feature which lets you zoom through the touch screens of your mobile phones. As you can see the upper right image is of the same quality as the original left side images but the lower right image's quality is much lower and is not clear.

• This means you don't have to zoom through your Smart Phone devices. But what if you want a close shot of some far place or subject with a mobile? What you must do here is you must walk close to that area or subject physically and capture the close shot you need.

    4. Continuity

• Well, this is very important and as a Film Maker (beginner or expert) you just can let this off. This means to match the details of your shots comprising a scene, which is being captured on a particular location. Well not to worry if this sounds you very technical. The video will help you understand this rule in a better way.
  

• Well, this video shows the differences between 2 shots taken at the same place and also at the same time. What different was the angle only? So how come 'watch' and 'container' which were appearing in the 1st shot suddenly disappeared when only the angle of the shot changed? (scene location same). Well, friends, a very important rule of continuity has been broken here. What might have happened is that the director would have thought that only single angle shot is enough and there is no need to take another angle shot? But somehow he would have required that shot again and at that time the makers would have forgotten that what details(watch, container) were in the first angle. Resultantly, anybody can find out that continuity has been broken here and professionals would rightly get angry with these mistakes. Hope continuity is clear to you.

    5. 180' rule

• As continuity, 180' rule of film making is also a major rule to be followed. In this, a director needs to create an imaginary line on the scene of location. (No need to physically draw, just draw it in your mind). Let me explain this in a better way through an image example.

Camera 1, 2, 3 and X capturing subjects

Image-Blogspot

• Here Camera 1 captures a long shot of a boy and girl. 
• Camera 2 shows boy, who is standing on the right side of the frame, looking the girl to the left side of the frame.
• Camera 3 focuses girl, who is standing on the left side of the frame, looking the boy to the right side of the frame. 

• Well, this is properly accurate because the audience can confirm the positions of both the subjects in the scene and no confusion regarding the position is caused. What breaks the 180' rule is the Camera X. This camera focuses girl, who is standing on the right side of the frame, looking the boy to the left side of the frame. 

• For a moment forget Camera 3 is in position at all. Now, camera 1 rightly captures a shot of both subjects while Camera 2 captures boy on the right side looking to the girl on the left side of the frame. The camera 2 here rightly establishes the positions of both the subjects in the frame, while Camera X confuses the audience and shows that both subjects are on the right side of the frame and looking towards each other on the left side. For not breaking it, you must not cross the imaginary 180' line on the scene. This is what 180' rule on a basic level is. I hope I have made it clear. If not, don't worry just practise it in your home and you can understand it at the best. (Don't practice it outside and even if you are doing it inside, then don't call outsiders and also keep social distancing at the highest priority with your family too due of Coronavirus).

    6. Get maximum stability

• Getting stability in most shots is highly required. Shaky shots work only when the director needs to show horror, tense or situations where the anxiety of the viewers is to be aroused. Like someone is running to save his/her life from the killer. Here you might take a shaky shot where the subject himself/herself is holding the camera while running to create a tense mood.  

• Apart from a situation like these shaky shots don’t work well. Always take some support like a tripod, monopod or gimbals. If none of these equipments are available, then you will need to position yourself (take support by placing your back to a wall or any other fixed thing present on the location) in such a way that your camera doesn’t shake while also holding it tightly with both of your hands. This will help you to escape from any unwanted shaking.

    7. Avoid using Phone flash

• Using phone flash might give you awkward shadows which might deviate the mood of a scene. So, avoid using phone flash. Use exterior light sources if shooting in dark. Like you can simply use few light bulbs which can enlighten the subject or object. You can take battery lights if shooting in the night outdoors. An LED light might also do the trick for you. 

Get on to the shooting gears once this infectious Coronavirus disease is finished from the world. Take your care even after that. Stay healthy, stay safe.